A feature-rich SLR at a good price. If you can live with the weight and design quirks, that is

A good price for an HD camcorder, but poor design makes it awkward to use

The brand and the price could prove this camera’s downfall. Who’d buy a Samsung when you can get Pentax for less?

A lovely compact cam and a decent HD camcorder in one

We like this camera a lot, and for a rugged day out it’s one of the most reliable snappers out there. We just wouldn’t shoot our best mate’s wedding on it.

Not worth the extra money for the media ability, but a solid performer

Gotta love that revolving screen – but remind us again what exactly the point of it is

Full marks for effort but the i6 is trying to do too much, without doing anything very well

Just because something is cheap does not always make it nasty, nor does it necessarily make it the best buy. The possibility of the D701i being cheap and nasty was certainly a concern when the first one arrived and failed to operate, however, it was quickly replaced and the replacement worked fine straight from the box.

Samsung has produced a nice looking mini-cam with an unusual dual zoom system. One button for optical and another for the digital, which serves more to confuse than help.

It was a hard choice not to include this camera in the short list, especially considering the price. The 190MSi is a well-appointed handycam that uses a 0.8-megapixel CCD, 12x optical zoom and records still pictures. While the images weren't as good as those from the higher priced cameras, it performed well, and would make a great purchase.